This invention relates to manually actuable control surfaces, posts, and other devices, and more particularly to said control surfaces, posts, and other devices electromechanically engaging computer-driven displays for regulating cursor movement and function selection on said displays.
Aspects of Laptops
A xe2x80x9claptopxe2x80x9d is defined as a microcomputer small enough to use on one""s lap. Laptops may be plugged into an electrical outlet or more conveniently powered by an internal battery for several hours. Laptops are also referred to as xe2x80x9cportablexe2x80x9d or xe2x80x9cnotebookxe2x80x9d computers. The terms xe2x80x9cportablexe2x80x9d, xe2x80x9cnotebookxe2x80x9d, and xe2x80x9claptopxe2x80x9d will be used synonymously throughout the specification.
The term xe2x80x9cnotebookxe2x80x9d derives from the fact that laptop computers may be closed and carried much like a closed book when not in use. In addition, they may be opened up, as is a book, when being read. When so open, the display occupies the top lid or cover portion and is approximately vertical and hinged to the bottom lid or cover portion. Relatedly, the latter contains information entry and processing facilities, and is electrically and logically coupled to a liquid crystal display (LCD). An LCD is an information display comprising a picture element (pixel) addressable array. Because of the LCD""s thin sandwich construction, the bulk associated with electron beam tube displays can be eliminated.
A laptop includes a random access memory (RAM), a CPU responsive to instructions stored in RAM for functional execution of programs, an LCD display and driver, a disk-based storage subsystem including a CD-ROM drive and a large capacity magnetic disk drive for staging and destaging programs and data from the CD-ROM to and from a magnetic disk drive and RAM. It further includes an arbitrated bus distribution network for providing asynchronous communication pathways among the laptop elements and permitting the CPU to exercise direct and indirect control over all laptop elements.
Laptops also feature dedicated ports such as a telephone communications port, a mouse port, a parallel device (printer) port, a serial device port, and a game port. Since laptops are expected to execute multimedia displays, sound cards and other peripherals are provided which can be either integrated into the laptop or provided as stand-alone units connected to the laptop via a port.
Display Pointer and Function Selection Devices
A mouse is a manually operable small mobile device that controls the movements of a cursor and the selection of function on a computer display. Originally, a mouse used cyclically operable elements for electromechanically generating a mapped computer display of the position and motion of a cursor. This was implemented by imparting relative motion to a ball or wheel past sensors. These sensors generated indicia representing kinematic activity of the mouse, which was then mapped into position, and motion of the cursor in a multidimensional display space and medium.
The advent of games executable on computers, especially those involving aircraft flight and piloting simulation, has substantially increased demand for quasirealistic control interfaces. A xe2x80x9cjoystickxe2x80x9d is the name of a manually grippable post used in aircraft pilotage to alter aircraft kinematics. The joystick is manually gripped at one end and concurrently moved in several degrees of freedom to alter the aircraft kinematics. In this regard, kinematics is that branch of dynamics that deals with aspects of motion apart from considerations of mass and force (geometry of motion). In aircraft, the joystick is coupled to the aircraft control surfaces either directly by control lines or hydraulic actuators, or indirectly through a computer controlled fly-by-wire arrangement. Joysticks as implemented in combat fighter aircraft are usually embellished with additional control features associated with weapon loading and firing.
Prior Art Joysticks and Laptop Computers
In the prior art, several references are believed pertinent. These include Burnett, U.S. Pat. No. 5,615,083, xe2x80x9cDetachable Joystick for a Portable Computerxe2x80x9d, issued Mar. 25, 1997; Stokes et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,278,557, xe2x80x9cCursor Movement Control Key and Electronic Computer Keyboard for Computers Having a Video Displayxe2x80x9d, issued Jan. 11, 1994; Sellers, EP 0 725 329, xe2x80x9cCollapsible Pointing Stick Apparatus for a Portable Computerxe2x80x9d, published Aug. 7, 1996; and Agata, EP 0 751 455, xe2x80x9cA Portable Computer and a Keyboard Thereforexe2x80x9d, published Jan. 2, 1997.
Burnett discloses a joystick, a mounting bracket, and collar coupling the joystick electrically and mechanically to a game port, the port being embedded within a palm-rest portion adjacent to a keyboard of a laptop computer. Stokes discloses a force-sensitive key driving an array of force-sensitive resistors operably engaging said resistors and generating electrical indicia for use in a video display. Sellers describes a collapsible pointing stick structure mounted on the top side of a keyboard that is manually pivotable. Agata discloses the use of a pointing device that can be elevated and lowered consistent with the raising of the cover of a laptop or notebook computer.
It is accordingly an object of this invention to devise a seamless mechanically and electrically integrated joystick as a manually operable control element for use with contemporary laptop computer information entry/keyboard interfaces.
It is a related object that such seamless integration provides a stable mechanical operating environment for the ordinary and usual joystick actuations when executing aircraft flight or pilotage simulation programs on a laptop computer.
The foregoing objects are believed satisfied by a system comprising a display, a keyboard, and a processor coupling the display and keyboard. The keyboard includes a matrix of actuable touch-sensitive keys or the like and a manually operable device such as a modified TrackPoint(copyright) sited among and within predetermined ones of the keys. The TrackPoint(copyright) device couples the processor for controlling movement of a display cursor and the selection of function as depicted on the display. The system further comprises a manually grippable lever (joystick) with a post at one of the lever ends, a mechanism coupling the post end of the lever to the device for forming a unitary control, and circuits responsive to kinematics of the coupled lever and device for communicating indicia thereof to the processing arrangement. The coupled lever and device are concurrently movable in several degrees of freedom. TrackPoint(copyright) is a trademark of the IBM Corporation.
A TrackPoint(copyright) device includes a post having a lower portion connected to a force transducer, and an upper portion adapted for engagement with a removable cap which is manipulated by the user to cause a pointer to move on the display of the laptop. The joystick of the present invention includes at its lower end a post adapted to be positioned into the upper portion of the TrackPoint(copyright) device post when the end cap is removed.
In a preferred embodiment, the electrical connection between the joystick and the laptop computer includes electrical contact on the joystick post, which is electrically connected to at least one user-actuatable button on the joystick. The joystick electrical contacts are adapted to engage with corresponding electrical contacts in the upper portion of the TrackPoint(copyright) device post, wherein actuation of the button causes a signal to be relayed via the joystick post for processing by logic in the laptop computer.
As an alternative, a cable could be provided on the joystick for connection to a port of the laptop computer. This would allow the joystick to be used with a laptop computer which did not provide electrical contacts in or on the pointing device post. In a preferred computer system, the joystick further includes a sprung shaft for converting movement of the joystick into movement of the force transducer. Alternative arrangements could be used in order to transfer the movement of the joystick to the force transducer of the pointing device.
Advantageously, the joystick is both removably mounted and sited at a point of maximum stability. As the joystick is progressively rotated in several degrees of freedom, associated angular torques are generously and equiangularly resisted by the entire keyboard footprint due to the central location within the keyboard of the joystick mounting site.